BRISBANE – CAPITAL LEAGUE 3 – MID SEASON REVIEW BY MERSON KEANE

Capital 3 has been one hell of a season so far from crazy goalfests to arm wrestles with some great goals thrown in.

Centenary Stormers have set Brisbane’s fourth tier on fire this year scoring plenty of goals along the way, 52 in all to be precise. Stormers got off to a slow start but once they got their first win under their belt, they couldn’t be stopped with a run of bagging four, eight, six and twelve goals in matches all in the space of a few weeks. Added to that was their cup run which saw them coming from 4-0 down with ten men after 15 minutes against Logan Village before triumphing 7-4 and then scoring eight against Capital 2 side Brisbane Knights. NPL side Olympic FC eventually bringing their cup run to an end.

Amongst the competitors around them on the table, Narangba have made an impressive surge up the ladder in recent months with emphatic wins over Virginia and Jimboomba. Narangba’s Paul De Vries has been influential in the northern club’s climb up the ladder.

Westside have been a side who have struggled with consistency but still find themselves right in the mix for promotion from Capital 3. Westside have two vital games in hand against Ridge Hills at home and AC Carina away which could determine which division they play their football in next season.

Toowong were tipped for promotion by many at the start of the year but are another side struggling for consistency. A recent rally of good results though has shot them into fourth position as the business end of the season approaches. Ashley Howell has been the major contributor, chipping in with eleven goals in the first half of the season.

New Farm may have been a Capital 4 side last year but this year they have been a tough team to beat. The side who play out of the famous Park have had recent home successes propelling them from ninth into fifth in just a couple of weeks.

Clairvaux have settled well in to their promoted state this year picking up some good results. Residing only two points away from playoffs contention, it’s been a fantastic achievement for the small Mount Gravatt-based club.They face a tough run in the next few weeks, meeting sides in the top four, which will go a long way in determining how their season pans out. After travelling to Narangba this weekend, they then head to Darra to play the Stormers before coming home to host Westside.

Ridge Hills have been average this campaign with five wins, four draws and three losses but still retain every chance of making the playoffs. Not known as one of the highest scoring teams in the competition but what is helping them is that their defence is as equally stingy in conceding goals. If they can improve their form and turn those draws into wins in the second half of the season, they’ll be in with a big shout of playing finals football.

Jimboomba have had a mixed campaign so far with six wins and six losses but remain only three points away out of the four, highlighting just how competitive and tight this division is.

Virginia had been flying high until recent weeks but have started a decline down the ladder, unable to pick up three points since late April when they hammered lowly Logan City Kings. As highlighted before with other teams, a run of wins in this tight league will throw them back in contention for the end of season playoffs.

AC Carina have struggled to remain in contention after some poor performances away from the Abruzzo Club. Away from home, they have lost five out of six encounters which has halted their progression further up the ladder. AC Carina’s Richie Stockman is their top scorer with eight goals and impressed in their Canale Cup clash against Capital 2 side Park Ridge, scoring two in front of the cameras.

Brighton Bulldogs have had a poor season but on occasions have showed that they aren’t in it just to make up the numbers. A few heavy defeats though has put them in the frame for relegation back to Capital 4. The Bulldogs had two great wins on the road at Narangba and Virginia and they’ll need to find that form again to get them out of their current predicament.

Logan City Kings have just one point to their name at the halfway stage and relegation to Capital 4 looks to be on the cards unless significant improvement can be found in the second half of the season.